Dear Beauty,
I wrote this blog a while ago, and in light of what’s going on in our country this July of 2020, let’s revisit its relevancy:
I don’t know about you, but every once in a while I face a situation where I can’t see my way through. It feels like being in the ocean, bobbing around without an anchor.
Fortunately, this feeling only lasts a short time because a minor miracle, or (as we say in my family) “A God Thing†comes along on a wave of hope to move me in a forward direction.
The speaker at yesterday’s meeting reminded us of the importance of hope in our lives. We are all on a journey home, and our job is to keep moving forward—one step at a time. Yet, since we live in a complex, fast paced world, it’s easy to see how murky our vision becomes, keeping us stuck.
In the movie, Cast Away, Tom Hanks’ character said that each day when he got up, he “…never knew what the tide would bring in.†By this statement, he implied that the tide ALWAYS brings something—even though he didn’t know what it would be. Sounds like our lives. New days bring new possibilities, even if we can’t see them through our despair. That’s why hope is golden.
Let me ask a question. With our own challenges, do we have a responsibility to bring hope to others? My dad used to tell us we did. He was all about the “little guy” (maybe because he felt like the little guy himself), and even though he would never use the word hope, he made sure we remembered others. Today, this lesson or legacy, permeates the lives of my brothers and sister. We cherish this value Dad taught.
In a poem by Aaron Zeitlin, translated by Emanuel Goldsmith, we are challenged into action on behalf of others.  In the first part of the poem, Zeitlin states that it’s okay to praise and revile God, but warns: “If you see suffering, and don’t cry out….Then I have created you in vain, says God.â€
This poem grabs me. Literally. I mean, ever since the first time I read those words, thirty years ago (and even today), hands jumped off the page to grab me by the throat as if to say, “PAY ATTENTION TO THIS.†It might be a call for all of us. My hope is that we all do our part to ease pain, wherever it grabs us.
As we encourage ourselves and others to be hopeful, here are some handy quotes to pass along.
Desmond Tutu said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite the darkness.†These are wonderful words to remember in today’s transparent society where we are inundated with bad news.
“Hope is sometimes all you have, when you have nothing else. If you have it, you have everything.†No matter what, we can move forward with a spark of hope!
Samuel Johnson tells us: “The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure but from hope to hope.â€Â Can’t you just imagine a bird flying over the ocean, powered by hope?
“Three grand essentials to happiness are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.†This Joseph Addison quote reminds us that we are placed here on earth for a purpose. When we do, hope and happiness find us.
Christopher Reeve says, “Once you choose hope, anything is possible.â€Â All great journeys begin with the right shoes and with hope.
Even the Bible addresses the concept of hope. In Hebrews 6:19 (ICB): “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong. It enters behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place in heaven.â€Â I like the thought that my hope extends beyond myself to a sacred place. The word anchor makes me feel safe.
Hope can also be an acronym:
H Hold
O On
P Pain
E Ends
Or maybe you’ll like this one:
H Have
O Only
P Positive
E Expectations
And here’s a Whalen Voices’ original for women:
H Her
O Optimism
P Powers
E Everything
Search for hope each day. Look for the possibilities hiding in every situation, and bless others by sharing your optimism. Hope is like an ocean wave, carrying us to the shores of tomorrow.
May your self-trust build confidence,
Jan